The bag has a strong orange and licorice fragrance. Steeped, the tea has a strong licorice fragrance, but the orange is now more subtle. Olfactory heaven, really. I figure I’d better take a sip before my nose decides to go on without me and dunk itself in. The taste is surprisingly mild. All the wonderful things that gave my nose a happy, I can’t really taste them. I pause, I swallow. There is a strong aftertaste, during which some of the shy ones make a brief appearance: orange, cinnamon. The sweet licorice coats my tongue and makes me do that thing where you scrape your tongue against your bottom or top teeth, like a scraper. My interest is piqued, but I am so far unimpressed. My nose, gullible buffoon that it is, cajoles me into taking another sip. Hmm… A little more orange this time. I remain unimpressed, but am being slowly won over.

Preparation

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2012.10.07: I hear people like to understand other people’s ratings, so here’s a loose guide:

01-29: Dear God, why.
30-49: I’ll finish this cup, I guess, but no more.
50-59: Meh.
60-69: Decent. Maybe I can blend it with something else and make it better.
70-79: Heeey, this is quite good!
80-89: I love it, but I’m not in love with it.
90-100: Permanently resident in my Happy Place.

Update: I have steeped, and it was good. =] Still a tea-ophyte, though.

This is a tea site, so I feel like “well, I’m Indian” should be enough of an introduction. Because, I mean, it’s kind of in my genes, right? But the fact of the matter is that I’m an absolute tea-ophyte.

I’ve just discovered a world beyond Celestial Seasonings. I’ve just discovered “sachets” instead of “normal” tea bags and bought my first loose tea sampler. I don’t get the whole water temperature and steep time thing yet, nor that if I want to get a yixiang tea pot, I’d need one for each type of tea. I have this infuser ball thing, but I haven’t used it yet.

Don’t cringe, but right now I’m still just boiling water and pouring it over a teabag, adding some sugar, and drinking a nice, hot cuppa. I’d like to learn more, I think, and I’d like to train my palate. I figure participating in this community is the best way to do that.